YACT: Battery, brake, and headlight indicators

[Ikonomi]

So my friend's Infiniti J30 starts displaying a wavering battery light, emergency brake light, and red headlight indicator while driving home just now.

It runs fine, but those three lights are on, and flicker a lot. They flicker more when the headlights are off.

I hooked it up to the minivan with some jumper cables, and tried charging up his battery. His car was fine while hooked up to the van, and for a couple minutes afterward, but then started showing the same lights again.

What's the problem? Is it the alternator? Battery? I'd like to help him fix this; any assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

[BadNewsBears]

Would seem to be the alterantor, sounds fishy though.

 

[Thegonagle]

Sometimes, all the warning lights are tied in to the alternator warning light. When everything is working properly, the alternator light is off when the engine is running, and on when the engine is not running but the key is on, so this serves the purpose of telling you that all the indicator lights still work and haven't burned out. Then when the alternator light turns on because of an actual alternator problem, all the other lights turn on with it.

Bottom line: Have the alternator tested. And make sure that AAA membership is up to date.

 

[Ikonomi]

Okay, I thought it was the alternator as well... Especially after it was gravy hooked up to my car. I couldn't figure out any other reason those three lights would show at once.

I'll let him know. My friend is clueless about cars, and his dad's out of town for a month, so I'll see what happens. I'll tell him to get the alternator checked out.

Is there a way I can do it myself? With a multimeter or something?

 

[slag]

His alternator is failing. Take it to autozone/advance/etc and have them test it if you need confirmation, but its definitely the alternator.

 

[BadNewsBears]

ANy decent auto place will have an alternator load tester, they spin it up and put a draw on it to see if it can handle it.

 

[Ikonomi]

Originally posted by: Munchies
ANy decent auto place will have an alternator load tester, they spin it up and put a draw on it to see if it can handle it.

He's taking it in tomorrow morning. Thanks guys.